West pulling out of Afghanistan and West Africa, there’s a gaping hole left to other powers keen on deepening their influence abroad. Beijing says its recent projects in these regions are facing growing security risks and have left Chinese officials in search of ways to mitigate said risks. #USA #China #Afghanistan #RTAmerica #FT

"The groups, which Beijing refers to as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, are an essential part of China’s security calculus in the region. The ETIM groups were estimated by the UN Security Council last year to number up to 3,500 fighters, some of whom were based in a part of Afghanistan that borders China." Read more.